——— We now interrupt serious news coverage for something completely inconsequential. ———

A new ad released Monday morning by Republican state treasurer candidate Wendy Wilton features a familiar face — and voice.

Former governor Jim Douglas — himself a four-term state treasurer — narrates the ad and appears in it, telling voters that, "Wendy Wilton is a professional, non-political fiscal leader who is looking out for you."

The ad features footage of Wilton strolling with a mother and child and Wilton chattin' with the former governor; it closes with Wilton facing the camera, saying, "I'll provide total transparency for all our state finances online, and I'd appreciate your vote on Nov. 6th."

Douglas did not immediately return a call for comment Monday, but said in a statement released by the Wilton campaign that the Douglas and Wilton families have been friends for years.

Here's the ad:

Wilton's Democratic opponent, incumbent State Treasurer Beth Pearce, released her first television ad last week.

In what's either a hilarious joke or a reporter reading too much into things, Pearce's ad begins with the following text onscreen: "Who Puts Vermonters First?"

Could that be a reference to the conservative super PAC, Vermonters First, which has dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into television ads and direct mail supporting Wilton? Perhaps, but we didn't call anyone to actually ask.

Here's the Pearce ad:

And, lastly, in only vaguely related news, Jack McMullen, the Republican candidate for attorney general, also released a trio of new ads Monday, which his campaign said would run through Election Day next week.

Two of them focus on McMullen's key priority — combating drug crime — while the third kind of vaguely attacks incumbent Democratic Attorney General Bill Sorrell, who McMullen says, "seems to believe he can create arbitrary rules that supersede the law when it doesn't fit his activist agenda and reelection."

No explanation is given as to what on Earth McMullen is talking about.

Here's that ad first, followed by the other two: